“Let’s just make Lisbon our home and stop this leaving every 90 days.”

She agreed and we decided to begin the process for a residency visa. It’s not a fun process but once it’s done and you pass your interview you are eligible to stay in Portugal for a year. So, é totalmente vale a pena.

I decided to put together a quick guide on how to get residency in Portugal. The Portugal Schengen Residence Visa is by far the easiest way to stay in Portugal. This is specifically for Americans who are looking to relocate to Portugal. I am not familiar with the process for those making the move from other countries but I am sure some of this process can help if you are not coming from the US.

Você pode usar este guia para ver a experiência que tivemos durante o processo, mas sabemos que o processo muda de tempos em tempos. If it does I will attempt to update this blog post. You can always follow our Complete Guide to Living in Portugal to get other ideas on how to do basic stuff in the country. It is growing daily.

– Investors (If you invest €500,000 you can be eligible for the Golden Visa Program)

– To establish themselves as independent professionals in their field

How Much Does the Portugal D7 Residency Visa Cost?

O custo total para o visto D7 de residência para ambos foi sobre $256 ($128 each), mais $50 for an FBI background check and €158 each for the residency card We also paid $70 a Biometrics precisos para um serviço de despachante para acelerar a verificação de antecedentes and €60 to the US Embassy in Lisbon to get my fingerprints. Vale cada centavo. We have some logical stuff like printing, getting notaries (You can get stuff autenticada on-line). No total, cada um de nós paga cerca de $600 para tudo.

Nós tivemos que esperar 2 months for our appointment since the embassy was pretty booked (Portugal is quite popular now). Once you go in for your appointment they legally have 30-days to approve or reject you. We literally got it on day 30. So assume that it will be 3-months for the whole process.

– FBI Criminal Certificado Gravar com apostilha (To receive this you have to send the FBI a notarize fingerprints. You can go to your local police precinct they will do it for you for a small fee. We went to the US Embassy. If you google around there are companies that will do it also for you. Also, note que este só é válido para 90-days. So best bet is to get your appointment with the consulate first then once you have a date get the fingerprints.)

– Uma cópia do seu passaporte página principal – The one with the photo and your numbers and stuff. I just copied all just in case.

– A Quem sou eu autenticada – This pretty much is a letter saying why you want to move to Portugal. Keep it short and to the point. Ours said that we loved the country, wanted to learn the language (taking classes twice a week now), que eu executar uma inicialização e que um dia eu quiser comprar imóvel em Portugal

– Prova de habitação, enquanto em Portugal – We booked a hotel, but this is no longer acceptable. The new requirement is that you have a 6-month lease that is registered at the AT (it’s the equivalent of the IRS). This will make things more challenging as most Portuguese people won’t do short-term leases. It’s doable but challenging.

– Prova de vôo para Portugal – This one was tricky we had to make an assumption when we would get approved. So we set our flight exactly 40 dias após a nossa entrevista no consulado.

Depois de ter todas essas coisas juntos e ir para a sua nomeação, the Embassy will forward the package to the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) back in Portugal. Then you just wait for the 30-days to hear back.

O que acontece quando você chegar Aprovado

Quando dia 30 hits you will receive an email with instructions for you to the consulate for them to give you a sticker which will go on your passport allowing you 3-months in Portugal. This sticker will give you a certain amount of exits from Schengen area. We only got two. So in the 3-months, você não pode deixar área de Schengen para mais do que o permitido.

Once we got the approval we flew to Portugal and began setting up our lives. One of the important things is you must call the SEF (Serviço De Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) in your city and make another appointment for the second extension. If you are in Lisbon you call +351 808 202 653. When you call, ouvir a mensagem inteira, then press 2. They will have someone who will speak English. Expect to spend 60 minutes on the phone – minimum.

Quando chegamos uma pessoa falando Inglês ao vivo, we told them we had the 3-month visa and that we wanted to get the full 1-year residency visa. The woman on the phone then gave us an appointment. Some of our friends who went to a lawyer to do this got an appointment in 3 weeks. We did it ourselves and the appointment was 6 months later. Crazy, eu sei. Just know you are allowed to stay in Schengen while you wait for your appointment. So don’t freak out.

A pessoa no telefone irá pedir para o seu e-mail. You will get an email from the SEF with the time and date of your appointment. I would print it out and save a screenshot on your phone. In Portugal, print out and copy everything – this will make your life easier. They are paper obsessed. Even if you don’t think you need something, trazê-lo de qualquer maneira.

O que fazer enquanto espera a sua nomeação

You will need to get a NIF (Portuguese tax number), uma conta bancaria, and the NHR status (Non-Habitual Resident..aka not a tax resident so you don’t get double taxed). I will write the process to get both on another blog. All these are easy to do, mas também muito fácil de mexer-se.

Quando você vai para o seu próximo compromisso, bring all the paperwork you have. Not the fingerprints but everything else. Also, bring Euros with you to pay the €158 fee. Then they will mail you your residence card in a few weeks. É isso aí, você é um residente.

Assim que for aprovado, you will have to renew after a year. The next renewal will give you 2-years. Then next one after that is for another 2-years. Once you are in Portugal as a resident of 5-years, you can begin the EU citizenship process or apply to be a Permanent resident. Just note you will probably have to speak Level 1 Português para passar no exame de cidadania.

How long was the Portuguese visa process once I handed in my paperwork to the consulate?

From what I understand by EU law it has to be processed in 30-days. So literally on day 30, Recebi um email dizendo para vir para o consulado e receber a minha extensão de visto.

Do I have to give them my passport during the process?

Não. You just need to make copies of the main pages of your passport during the process. We did leave the passport in Newark with them for 1-day so they could put the stamp on it. They were busy and we didn’t want to wait for 8-hours in the waiting area. We came in next day and a shiny new stamp was on the passport.

How much money do I need to be eligible for the visa?

Fora das taxas iniciais você precisa de uma certa quantidade de poupança para sustentá-lo para o seu visto de 1 ano, for Portugal it’s €75 for entry and exit the country and 40€ per day. So about €14,600. But you can have that in credit cards, contas bancárias ou fundos de aposentadoria.

So that’s it. The process is pretty easy, but to get all the paperwork together and go through the “hoops” you have to have a lot of patience and lembre-se de imprimir tudo. Dealing with the consulate in the US is great. Nice people and very helpful. I wish you good luck in your residency process. Enjoy Portugal.

P.S. – have questions? Ask us in the comments. Either Blanca or I will get back to you…but keep in mind IANAL and neither is Blanca – so just use this as a guide to help you get started.

77 Comments

I am currently applying for my residency Visa as well. I would like to know about once you had the appointment with SEF and submitted the documents, how long did you wait to get your residency card? Also, did SEF confirm that all the documents we’re satisfactory and that the residency card had been confirmed and issued via email correspondence?

Can you explain how the process works for couples? It is very confusing – for the four month visa, we have to go to two appointments but our income/financial resources are shared. And it’s unclear if we can go together in Portugal, and if we need both names on a bank account in Portugal.

Unless you are married you are considered two separate people. So have them print out your bank funds and you do the same. In our letter to Portugal I mentioned we both own businesses together and also joint accounts. But yes you will have to have 2 separate appointments. They usually are within 30 minutes of one another. Also if one of you speaks more Portuguese they can come with you to the appointment. It’s very little stress really…just the phone and bureaucratic wait is a bit rough.

Hey, Antonio super helpful! Only other thing I can think of is- is there a minimum time the passport must be valid until? For example, I know usually traveling beyeeen countries they say that your passport must be at least 6 months before the expiry date to be able to fly. Thank you again!

Your passport must be valid 3-months beyond the stay of a short term visa but for the long term it must be valid for the whole time. You can renew your passport online and/or get a second one if you need. They make exceptions for second passports when dealing with foreign visa requirements. So might be a good time to get a duplicate just in case.

I’ve been in Lisbon for a few weeks now with a residence visa, and I’ve made my appointment with SEF on the phone. They didn’t ask for an e-mail address – they gave me an appointment date and time right there on the phone. The appointment is about four months out.

So my question – what’s the magic way to get an NIF without going through an expensive service? Portugal now requires a ‘fiscal representative’ for the process of getting the NIF – it’s no longer possible just to go to the Financas and ask for one by yourself. And the services I see online want about 500 €, which seems a bit much for something so simple. Is there some way around this?

Hi Tom. As far as I know, there’s no way around it. You can ask a Portuguese friend (or another Portuguese national) to go with you to the SEF, but that will not get you the Non-habitual NIF (which has great benefits to expats). That’s one place where I have not found an alternative. There is a service if you just want to get the NIF, but you’ll eventually have to pay a lawyer to get it changed to Non-habitual. W It’s http://mocoderecados.com/en – they’re great all around for helping with tedious tasks.

Not really sure how things work across borders with work permits, perhaps the SEF website can point you in the right direction there. For the D7 visa, you have to be in your home country to apply – at least the last I checked.

I am very much impressed by your article, I also want some information on my case,could you please? I am a non eu resident. Now I am in Lisbon, I was a student of a schengen country but now it’s expired. In this point how can I get a Portuguese residency permit? Please suggest. Thanks!

It would be clearer to say the State Dept, not the FBI, issues Apostilles. From the FBI site:
“Documents authenticated by the FBI may then be sent to the U.S. Department of State by the requestor to obtain an apostille if necessary. ”

Hi Antonio,
thanks for the info…
I just wondering do you know any immigration lawyer that we can refer to??? do you have any idea how much would be the roughly cost??
loiking forward to hearing from you at your earliest convinience.

The price ranges but I’ve seen 500 – 1200 Euros usually. The higher priced ones actually are quite better. Google around in your country for “advogados em lisboa para imigração”. The better ones will do a skype call with you. If they won’t they probably too old to understand how to support your needs. Good luck!

Oi, thank you for an interesting blog, appreciate the time and energy that went to it. Quick question – the proof of income should have a form of monthly payments (dividents, interest etc.) or just showing the sum that will cover all the expected expences for the required 5 years until perm residency will suffice?
Did you hear anything about it?

They require trailing 6-months accounts. So print out your last 6 -month statement showing you meet the mean of subsistence for Portugal I believe is 40 euros a day but the rates change. I will try and look up and update the article.

I am applying for the D7 Visa and wonder about – Authorization of access to the Portuguese criminal record by the Aliens and Border Service (SEF – Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras); I can’t find anything anywhere and wonder if I can just write a letter and get notarized or there is a form for this?

Hi Antonio. A wonderful article and thank you for taking the time to write it. A couple of questions if I may.

1. Can I assume that the initial visa application (in the country you are departing) kicks off the residency visa process which the SEF simply confirms and finalises the process once you have an interview? I ask as if appointments take months to organise I am confused about the timing.

2. Can D7 holders do work such as run a bed and breakfast

3. How long must you spend in Portugal each year to keep the visa alive. (Our plan is to spend six months and alternate with our home in Philippines)

4. While the SEF are processing the residency visa can you travel throughout the Shengen region?

1. Can I assume that the initial visa application (in the country you are departing) kicks off the residency visa process which the SEF simply confirms and finalises the process once you have an interview? I ask as if appointments take months to organise I am confused about the timing.

Yes once you are approved in your home country the next process is pretty much a formality. But you will need to do the proof of a lease/ownership, register for taxes, show proof of income again, and proof of health care. So most of paperwork you did before.

2. Can D7 holders do work such as run a bed and breakfast
It’s not a work permit. That is another application process. But yes it appears if you own a place or get a commercial lease you can run a business. You will have to do paperwork if you get employees and register the business with the City.

3. How long must you spend in Portugal each year to keep the visa alive. (Our plan is to spend six months and alternate with our home in Philippines).

We got warned at our meeting that they need a receipt for every month for the first year in portugal for the visa to stay valid. So proof of NIF used on purchases and proof of paying taxes.

4. While the SEF are processing the residency visa can you travel throughout the Shengen region?
Yep! That’s the best part. Free movement. YAH! Only thing is once you leve shengen you only have a certain number of entries out of Portugal. So look on the stamp they place on your passport stating the amount of entries.

We are getting ready to launch a private section for people wanting contact with local lawyers, realtors, language coaches, locals, and a few other tidbits. I will make sure to include you in the invite list.

Really helpful blog. I have a question about taxes.
You mentioned “proof you paid taxes”.
Do you pay taxes in Portugal for the money you transfer to Portugal from the US every month? What is the tax rate?
As a tax resident, I also understand you pay taxes over all income abroad. is this correct?

I am not a tax attorney so I cannot really say to your specific income level. Portugal does have treaties with other countries to stop double taxation. Also there is the NHR regime if you are eligible. You can read about it here:

Hi Laura, We were given 2 exits out of the country during the first residency stay not counting the first entry into Portugal. Double check with your local Portuguese embassy/consulate. Laws are changing quickly here. Congrats on the move!

Bom Dia! António e Buena,
I can’t thank you enough for your very informative blog!
I have be a couple of questions:
1) I am currently in Miami breach but will be going to DC by end of month, seems it would be easier since the consulate is there. I need clarification on the lease, if technically once approved &as you said it’s hard to get a 4 month lease, where do I go in the meantime while they are processing the residency? Can you recommend a valid leasing agency there or at least a link. Do I have to go back to USA or go to a non Schengen country while I wait?
2)I was married for 24 yrs to a Brazilian, so luckily I do speak Portuguese or at least communicate& read. Proof of income partly pays me alimony monthly stair step for 20 yrs+ I’m disabled ( but live independently) so I do get permanent income direct deposited by SSI to my account k3%[email protected] for std of living) on both and is sufficient for the requirements. I also have IRA portfolio that is in 6 figures (annuities that guarantee 6% even if market falls) only time US IRS requires me to get a minimum amount at age 62&1/2-I’m 57 in July. So my Q is where should I go after the 180 days? This one is the”Tricky”part bec I’m confused if I need to go back to US or nearer outside Schengen country, and getting a short term lease is almost impossible here in US plus if minimum contract lease is 6 months there that would mean I will be paying double rent& one of the reasons I want to move to Portugal is that I can stretch my money more.
When am I allowed to return&what other paperwork will I need?
3) You had adviced in the FBI clearance that it is worth it to get an agent to expedite for a fee you said approximately$70; I get it in 3 days instead of the 4 month normal time it takes them- can you actually give me a reliable agent that can do this for me or at least how to find one? I’ve been”scammed before” luckily in Florence the Instituto Italiano referred me&the location couldn’t have been better as my duplex was right in front of the Uffizi gallery, Piazza Senorina&on my right was the Ponte Vecchio! I almost knew all the locals!
4) In the personal notarized statement of why I want to move there; do you think it will make a difference that I speak the language, lived& had a prior residency in Brazil? Also only by sheer coincidence my cousin is now ambassador to Portugal from the Philippines( she can check the apt for me) should I include those details?
5) How long will it take me to actually get my residency?

A little tidbit about myself- I was born in Philippines, now a naturalized US citizen, lived in 4 continents(last being 4 months in Florence, Italy 2016 can converse in 8 languages esp the romance like Portuguese, Spanish&Italian.
While in Lisbon(I’m quite familiar with the bureaucracy as it’s the same in Brazil). While in Lisboa I will actually be able to check exactly which seaside will best suit my need for tranquility while I write my blog&memoirs.
Your prompt&informative response is heartily appreciated.
Julia

1) I am currently in Miami breach but will be going to DC by end of month, seems it would be easier since the consulate is there. I need clarification on the lease, if technically once approved &as you said it’s hard to get a 4 month lease, where do I go in the meantime while they are processing the residency? Can you recommend a valid leasing agency there or at least a link. Do I have to go back to USA or go to a non Schengen country while I wait?

When we did our application, we had to do the process in our state of residency. I don’t know if things have changed, so check that before you make your plans. There are some realtors that will work with you. A friend of our is working with Remax right now, Ariana. They seem to like her. I will try to get you the contact info for her. You will need to pick up your passport with the visa stamp once approved, so it will probably be more convenient that you stick around near your consulate city.

2)I was married for 24 yrs to a Brazilian, so luckily I do speak Portuguese or at least communicate& read. Proof of income partly pays me alimony monthly stair step for 20 yrs+ I’m disabled ( but live independently) so I do get permanent income direct deposited by SSI to my account k3%[email protected] for std of living) on both and is sufficient for the requirements. I also have IRA portfolio that is in 6 figures (annuities that guarantee 6% even if market falls) only time US IRS requires me to get a minimum amount at age 62&1/2-I’m 57 in July. So my Q is where should I go after the 180 days? This one is the”Tricky”part bec I’m confused if I need to go back to US or nearer outside Schengen country, and getting a short term lease is almost impossible here in US plus if minimum contract lease is 6 months there that would mean I will be paying double rent& one of the reasons I want to move to Portugal is that I can stretch my money more.
When am I allowed to return&what other paperwork will I need?

You may be able to do an Airnbn somewhere…or maybe check craigslist to see if someone needs a part-time roommate.

3) You had adviced in the FBI clearance that it is worth it to get an agent to expedite for a fee you said approximately$70; I get it in 3 days instead of the 4 month normal time it takes them- can you actually give me a reliable agent that can do this for me or at least how to find one? I’ve been”scammed before” luckily in Florence the Instituto Italiano referred me&the location couldn’t have been better as my duplex was right in front of the Uffizi gallery, Piazza Senorina&on my right was the Ponte Vecchio! I almost knew all the locals!
4) In the personal notarized statement of why I want to move there; do you think it will make a difference that I speak the language, lived& had a prior residency in Brazil? Also only by sheer coincidence my cousin is now ambassador to Portugal from the Philippines( she can check the apt for me) should I include those details?

Took us exactly 30 days from the day we applied. Mind you this was our experience, for you it may be more…may be less.

A little tidbit about myself- I was born in Philippines, now a naturalized US citizen, lived in 4 continents(last being 4 months in Florence, Italy 2016 can converse in 8 languages esp the romance like Portuguese, Spanish&Italian.
While in Lisbon(I’m quite familiar with the bureaucracy as it’s the same in Brazil). While in Lisboa I will actually be able to check exactly which seaside will best suit my need for tranquility while I write my blog&memoirs.

Thank you so much Blanca¡
I will definitely go to your site re apto! I’ll be flying to DC since the jurisdictions of Flat is actually there. I still need some info on reliable channelersbthat can exoadute the FBI clearances, can you refer one?
On Q regarding the qip days visa or y months you think there would ba an apt around Sept that would give me a y month lease. Also, still confused regarding what happens after y months? Do O move back to US, wait another (not sure how long-if you can give me incites on this it would truly be a life saver; should I rent in an non Euro country? Truly zi would prefer to just stay in Lisboa forvy months; enough time for me to discover which coastal town will suit my needs ( I’m a writer/blogger, and of course it would he cheaper than the touristic Porto or A grave.
If your actually in miasmi beach !maybe we could actually meet so I will feel more secure. EU
Honestly I have been protected all my life and first time to venture into this dream of mine ( bucket list). I know he pace, tranquility and gorgeousness of Portugal is so very ME!
You can email me directly.
Respectfully, Julia G. De Araujo

Monthly leases are rare here. Rents tend to be long-term 2-5 years since owners need to pay a 23% fee to the realtor and I believe 25% in taxes to Portugal. Your best bet for short-term (anything under a year) is Airbnb. I have tons of info here on how to find an apartment in Lisbon: http://blancavalbuena.com/rent-an-apartment-in-lisbon/

When you arrive once you are approved, you need to go to the SEF and ask for an appointment. You can stay in Portugal until the date of your appointment and as long as everything goes well, your visa will be extended for a year as of that date. Check with the Consulate just in case there have been any changes in this over the past month.

***When you get your Portuguese Visa, the Portuguese government expects you to reside in Portugal. Once you get approved before arriving, you will be told how many times you are allowed to leave Portugal (usually 2) before your renewal date.

Hello! Thank you for all the great info. My wife and I are moving to Lisbon in 3 weeks. We are American, but have been living in Thailand for the past 4 meses. We plan to enroll in a university language program to get a student visa- Are you familiar with this process? Will we need to return to the US to get our visas or can we apply while in Portugal?

Sooo…what I found on Google – and I am not a lawyer – so I would still recommend getting info straight from the Portuguese govt: You must apply at your home country and the visa must be approved before you travel to Portugal.

I have a friend who is applying now, US citizen living in South America and he was told that he must have a 6-month lease signed prior to submitting his application. The personal statement has been a requirement for a while, although being a resident of the EU, things may be different for you, so in your case, it may be a good idea to speak with an expeditor. This is a reputable company that offers this kind of service and could consult properly http://eimigrante.pt/pt/

Hello Antonio and Blanca. Thanks for this wonderful article about D7 Visa for Portugal.
Me and my wife want to go to Portugal for living, and I have a question, because I don’t understand this part.
Do we need to have €6,684.00 + €3,342.00 = € 10,026.00 in bank to get Visa approved for a year or we need to prove we receive a income (€6,684.00 + €3,342.00)/12 = €835.00 every month accessible in Portugal?
Obrigado

We wrote this piece when we applied last year. I was recently told by a friend who applied that the requirements recently changed. Each household must have the following as a means of livelihood for the 12-month period €8,120 for the first adult, €4,060 for additional adults and €2,436 for kids under 18. Obviously, the more money you have to show the better, but if you can prove steady income you may still get approved. Good luck on the application.

1. Why doesn’t Portugal government public widely this program as Golden visa program? I can not find it from Government websites?
2. Comparing to Golden visa, this program is a lot better in term of money saving. What are the main advantage points if Portugal Government wants to call for investors to invest to their country to get Golden visa in return?

3. Is there any commitment from Government for the visa extension times with our proof of finance and proof of taxes? Each time you need to get interview and they will decide Yes or No? If they say No for some reason, we have to return our country?

4. In order to prove our income in our home country, do they require tax evidence or just 6 month bank statements?

Not sure. Can’t speak for the Portuguese government, but there is information on it on the Portuguese Consulate website.

I’d say it’s an influx of people with wealth to spend when it comes to D7. As for the Golden Visa, there are plenty of benefits for Portugal – for example, the city is looking a lot prettier. However, it is driving rental and property prices up which is an issue for locals.

Things can always change and there is always a chance you will be declined. I would assume if someone is declined they need to leave Portugal. That can mean going back to their home country or doing some travel.

We submitted tax statements, bank statements, and other financial docs.

Awesome article! This has more information about the residency visa in one spot that I have seen anywhere else!

I had questions about your timeline since from your post it seems like you started the application process from within Portugal (getting fingerprinted in Lisbon). My husband and I will be moving to Lisbon for 3-6 months in a couple weeks and are going just on the Schengen tourist visa (maybe with an extension) to start, but have begun looking into how to upgrade to a residency visa.

-Have you heard if there’s any way to apply for the residency visa from within Portugal? Maybe with a lawyer?
-What parts of the process (from your 12 step process 🙂 ) did you start from Portugal?
-If you were in Portugal to start, did that help you find a short-term lease quicker? If you are looking for a lease to satisfy the visa requirements, how did you know when your start date should be?
-At what point in the process did you go back to the states and how long did you stay? I know it took you 30 days to get your visa, were you in New Jersey the whole time? Did you make your initial consulate appointment with the New Jersey consulate from within Portugal?
-Any suggestions for keeping time in US to a minimum to complete all of this?

-Have you heard if there’s any way to apply for the residency visa from within Portugal? Maybe with a lawyer? – As far as I know, you need to apply in your home country. We just had the fingerprinting done at the Embassy to speed up the process since we were here.

-What parts of the process (from your 12 step process ) did you start from Portugal? – Just the Fingerprints and some of the paperwork.

-If you were in Portugal to start, did that help you find a short-term lease quicker? If you are looking for a lease to satisfy the visa requirements, how did you know when your start date should be? – When we applied, you could use a short-term rental (we had 45 days). That has since changed to a 6 month lease that is registered with the city. We had friends just complete the process and they had a realtor find them a place. They winged it. The approval process takes between 30-45 days, so they started their lease 30 days from the date they submitted the application. If you’re looking for an apartment, this is a good piece to get you started: http://blancavalbuena.com/rent-an-apartment-in-lisbon/

-At what point in the process did you go back to the states and how long did you stay? I know it took you 30 days to get your visa, were you in New Jersey the whole time? Did you make your initial consulate appointment with the New Jersey consulate from within Portugal? We did constant travel, so we gave ourselves 2 months at home to apply. We had to time the application date, enough time to get approved/rejected and enough time to get our passport back. Don’t remember when we made the appointment, but we made it online.

-Any suggestions for keeping time in US to a minimum to complete all of this?

Make yourself a timeline that helps you estimate how long things will take. Then give yourself a little wiggle room. As Lisbon becomes more popular, times may be a bit longer…so wiggle room is important.

Great article!
I was wondering if you know if it is an issue if you own a business in a different country to live there?
i.e would they want that business to get a business registration in Portugal as well and run any funds thru there?

Always check with your tax attorney, but you should be able to run a business elsewhere. I would recommend that you consult a tax attorney in your country as well as a Portuguese tax attorney to review your tax liability for the business. You may be eligible for NHR, which makes certain kinds of income not taxable in Portugal (example – real estate & retirement funds). I have more detailed information on that here: http://blancavalbuena.com/portuguese-non-habitual-tax-residency/

Oi,
Thank you for this great article.
I am 42, I work remotely for a company in software.
I earn around 8,000$ por mês. Its a fixed income from that company.
Am I eligible to get D7 visa?
Do I need to give embassy the letter from my company for the income or I can only show only 6 months bank statement with enough savings like around 50,000$?

You need to check with the Portuguese embassy of your country of citizenship. I have Indian, Chilean and Colombian friends who have all done the process and it is a little different for everyone. You probably would be eligible, but it it is always good to get the most updated info direct from the source. We had to show bank statements to prove our income. Good luck on the app 🙂

Em primeiro lugar, thank you very much for all this information and for being dedicated enouh to answer peoples’ questions. I have a question that is really casuing me worry. It has been asked a few times above, but not really answered. It is this…

I am self-employed and retired. I have no retirement income or other income, but I DO have close to 1,300,000 saved up in a bank account.

I plan on immigrating with my wife, so we need to show at least 12,000 euros for the first year.

But how is income judged in these cases? Do they look for income only? Is a million dollars stacked in a savings account enough for them for the five year period? Or do we have to have some sort of financial instrument showing we receive at least 12,000 euros a year?

Em outras palavras, how do they calculate minimum income?

A second question: the Golden Visa charges a huge amount to renew the visa. What are the renewal costs for the D7? 2500 euros per person like the Golden Visa? Or less?

As you know, I am not a lawyer, but it seems your resources are fine. I would highly recommend that you speak to a tax attorney in the US and in Lisbon to plan your finances properly. If you haven’t lived in Portugal before as a tax resident for the 5 previous years you may be eligible so that you don’t get double taxed on certain types of income.

The first renewal of the D7 was about 100 euros (I’m working off of memory – I think it was 96 for each of us).

Thanks so much for the kind words. It’s a labor of love, so I appreciate it.

So I have my appt coming up with the Portuguese consulate, but I’m as confused as ever on a few points.

Em primeiro lugar, do I really need to show proof of lease for 6 months? I find it crazy to seek out and pay for a place online before even knowing if I’m approved for a visa or not. What did you do? I’m pretty particular about places, so I want to go to Portugal visa in hand and then find a place that way.

I do have friends in Lisbon, could they simply write something stating that it’s ok for me to stay with them?

How did you handle this part of the application? I’m applying in SF which I think is pretty strict.

When we did our application a simple Airbnb reservation was fine. However, things have changed and you do need proof of a 6-month lease. Our friends that recently went through the process worked with a realtor to find an apartment. They signed a year lease (most landlords won’t do a 6-month lease because it is they who pay the realtor fee which is quite hefty).

I have heard that SF is pretty strict, so I would ask them directly about your idea if I were you. Last I heard the lease has to be registered at the AT (Portugal’s Tax Authority).

Awesome & good luck. If you have any other q’s, please don’t hesitate to ask. Things are changing so quickly here because so many people want to move to Lisbon. It’s incredible how quickly the popularity of the Lisbon has grown since I started coming.

And I also e-mailed the SF consulate, but no reply back from them either. I am welcome to stay indefinitely with a good friend of mine who is a European resident of Portugal, so I hope that will be sufficient.

Is there a better-suited visa I should be looking into than the D7? I’m a freelancer, all of my clients are in the US — but during searches, I didn’t find anything similar to the German or Czech freelancer visas.

In Spain there is the non-lucrative visa as well as autonomo, don’t suppose Portugal has something similar?

The “Golden Visa”. It requires a purchase of a property of 500k euros, employ 10 Portuguese people, purchase of property that is over 30 years old or located in areas of urban renovation worth more than €350,000, €250,000 investment in artistic production or national natural inheritance and others (this is copy pasta from wikipedia).

or

Portugal’s Startup Visa

This one is catered to entrepreneurs who want to start a business here, or has launched a biz and is willing to transfer it to Portugal. However, I would check the laws here because they are quite restrictive to employees (example – very hard to fire someone) and taxes are very high. There are also other requirements. I think the D7 is the way to go 🙂

I cannot thank you enough for all of the information and details! Have you heard any updates on if the embassy will grant the visa through another means than a 6-month lease? I’ve got an appointment in Newark early February, but, like others, I am nervous about signing a lease for so long without knowing if the visa will actually be approved. 🙁

Thanks for the kind words. Just trying to make it easier for those who also want to move to Portugal. A partir de agora, no. The requirements are getting stricter all the time. Our friends just made the move and they too had to get the 6-month lease, same with my mom.

Wow thanks so much. Great over view and direction. I plan on moving Jan of 2020. And have been doing my home work. I go again for two weeks next
Sexta-feira. Already have my tax number and will open a bank account and meet with attorney. My biggest scare is private health insurance as I have pre existing medical issues and expensive drugs and can’t get s real definition. On who can carry me. I just joined afpop. So hoping they can help. Cigna would not accept me. Love to meet you all
Some time. Are you in Lisbon. ? I arrive on the 22. [email protected]. Best Ed.

So happy that the article helped. Things are changing all the time, so I try to update this post as often as possible. Congrats on getting things set up. I’m not 100% on how pre-existing conditions will work for insurance in Portugal, but I do have an article that outlines the process for getting set up here >> http://blancavalbuena.com/portuguese-medical-insurance/

Thanks for creating this blog. It is very informative and I am finding it very useful. I am a retired teacher teaching internationally and I would like to start my D7 for next year. I was wondering if their is a minimum stay requirement in Portugal if you have a D7 visa. I found some ambiguity where some websites say that the stay requirement is individuals cannot leave the country for six consequitive months. Some lawyers have told me that you must be in the country for 6 meses, others have said 4 meses, others have said as as long as you are not out for 6 consecutive you will be fine.

When we first arrived, we were told by the Portuguese Consulate in the US that once we received our first Visa, we would only get 4 trips out of Portugal. Things are changing fast, so make sure you ask when you apply. When you apply for the D7, the idea is that you reside in Portugal. This is where your NIF comes in. We were told at our first Portuguese visa renewal appointment that we were to use our NIF so that we could prove we were truly residing in Portugal. I’d say your best bet for accurate information here is to ask the consulate directly.

Hi Blanca
Thank you very much for your article. It answers alot of my questions. I’m right at the beginning of my application, but I’m doing it through an agent in Dubai. I’m South African, living in the middle east. My agent said that once the initial application is submitted, I would need to stay in Portugal for at least 4 months in order to wait for my first appointment. Is this true or could I be out of the country and just fly in when the initial appointment is made?

Social Media

About Me

My name is Blanca and I run a few startups called FriendsEAT and Socialdraft. I travel alot. I have lived in 10+ countries and visited over 30+. Currently I live in Lisboa, Portugal. You can follow my thoughts and experiences on this blog. Hope to hear from you.